Taiwan's largest microchip maker TSMC and the Dutch lithography equipment supplier ASML could remotely shut down semiconductor production plants in the event of an attack on the island.
Bloomberg, which published this news, said that the US government had particularly expressed its concerns to its Taiwanese and Dutch partners about the fate of high-tech factories in the event of an attack on the island.
It is noteworthy that the Taiwanese company TSMC currently produces about 90% of modern chips that are used for both military purposes and to develop artificial intelligence technologies.
Dutch company ASML has assured Dutch officials that it can turn off machines remotely if there is a threat of seizure. The company also explained that high-precision equipment requires regular maintenance, and will not be able to operate for a long time without appropriate technical support.
It is noteworthy that the Netherlands had banned, at the request of the United States, the supply of lithography machines to China, which led to ASML losing approximately 15% of its annual revenues. Meanwhile, experts fear that Beijing has already managed to import this high-tech equipment and start producing microchips independently of TSMC.